This ever happen to you? Second time for me (in 36 yrs)

I had a customer come in to have a shotgun fit to his 13 yr old son for Turkey hunting. They had spent several hundred dollars on calls, clothes and classes on Turkey hunting at the warehouse sporting goods store up the block. I told the son to bring me a picture of his bird when he got one and I'd hang it up on the wall. The next weekend his back with a picture for me of a nice tom, he started telling me how they had gotten the camp set up a few days before the season started and had scouted hard for hunting spots and birds. Come opening day they left mom and little brother sleeping in the tent and were set up before sun rise in a good blind, they started calling but nothing came in or even answered them. They decided to go in for lunch and then try another spot in the afternoon, they came into camp and had lunch and took a nap before setting out again. They got up around 4PM and put on fresh face paint for the afternoon hunt, as they stepped out of the tent there was mom and little brother feeding chips to 9 turkeys. To there credit they didn't start shooting right then instead they gave them a 30 minute head start.

I've never heard of a moose being that far south near town. Farthest south I know of was in a farmers field on Atlas and Prarie roads. That must have been a fun sight for all at the shoot. Very few people ever get to see a moose much less during a rock n roll session. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Back in 1975, I was going through field training at Camp Bullis Texas. We were on the machine gun range and had just started night fire execises in the late evening while it was still daylight. As we commenced fire, two jackrabbits ran onto the range and immediately eighteen M60 machineguns opened up on them. Tracers were going everywhere and so were the rabbits. Nobody hit either one of them. Luckiest rabbits I ever saw!

Roy something very similar has happened to me on two different occasions. The first time was 5 years ago I was on a long pulpwood road in my hunting club doing a little zero varification after a rough day hunting the day before. I had ranged 100 yards and set up a target then walked back and took 2 shots verifying my poi was still intact after which I started walking back to gather my target to only get half way there and a nice whitetail buck stepped into the road about 50 yards the other side of my target looked at me and just stood there. I broke into a sprint back to my truck only to catch a glimpse just as he stepped into the trees! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] 2nd time was two years later same spot this time a coworker was with me and we were setting his new scope rifle combo he had just gotten the day before and again half way to the target a nice buck pops out this time he is around 375 to 400 yards and has no clue we are there yet! Long story short same thing happened by the time we got back to the truck he was disappearing into the trees! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] Now I never ever walk to my target during deer season without a rifle ready to go on my shoulder!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

When I was 15 growing up in Idaho I was deer/ elk hunting and had to take an emergency dump. I put my rifle against a tree and found a nice spot and was getting down to business. I looked up and there was the biggest mule deer I have ever seen between me and my gun. I should have thrown the roll of tp at him cause it was a mess trying to sprint past him with my pants down to get to the gun before he dissappeared. Needless to say it didn't work.

There was this time I was elk hunting and came across a huge flock of fool hens. I leaned my rifle against a tree and chased those birds for hours throwing rocks and having a killing. When I was done it took me about 4 hours to find my gun. It was worth it though cause those grouse were tasty!

I was guiding some clients on an elk hunt and it was lunch / nap time so we ate and had a snooze in the most horrific burned out area we were hunting in. I mean this place was smoked. no shade and it looked like the lunar surface. I was awakened by one of my hunters shaking me saying there was an elk. I didn't even open my eyes and said yeah right! he said no really and I told him to shoot it, he said his bow was about 20 feet away and the elk were in the way! I looked up and a cow and calf were standing there about 15 feet looking at us wondering what the hell was laying on the side of that mountain in the middle of nothing but black ash. He talked about that for the rest of the week.

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When I was 15 growing up in Idaho I was deer/ elk hunting and had to take an emergency dump. I put my rifle against a tree and found a nice spot and was getting down to business. I looked up and there was the biggest mule deer I have ever seen between me and my gun.

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Apparently your grandpa didn't tell you to always keep your gun within reach when your ass is hanging over a log! Mine did because he shot plenty animals that way. He almost got knocked back into the 'pile' from doing so. So be careful! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]